Tenorio: Bay Area depth squeezed out by Nicholson absence

A lot of Barangay Ginebra’s preparations for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals depend on Bay Area import Andrew Nicholson.

So when the Dragons continued to play without the Canadian ace on Saturday night-and with so much enthusiasm and confidence in that-darlings many were stunned.

“Coming into this game, we weren’t sure if Nicholson was going to play or not. I guess we fell into that trap. What we feared was going to happen,” Gin Kings veteran playmaker LA Tenorio told reporters during a 94-86 loss in Game 4 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City that leveled the best of seven series in two games. per.

“The things that have been done have changed over time [Andrew sat out]. It seems like they play really loose and for strength… Anytime [Andrew] there, same [Dragons] looking for him. And because he’s gone, a lot of people have stepped up,” added Iron Man of the league.

“Our thinking is to stop Nicholson no matter what it takes. He has become the point of attack,” he said. “[Tonight,] they are unpredictable. His talent and strength show like I said.

Kobey Lam dropped 30 points built on a deadly three-point shooting, while Glen Yang and Zhu Songwei each chipped in 18 in scoring efforts that plugged the score gap left by Nicholson who hurt his left ankle in the previous meeting.

“We have to look at the execution in defense. That’s what we are destined for this game. And they are [Dragons] made very difficult shots at the end of the game, and we have to not let that happen,” Tenorio said.

The Beloveds enjoyed a 12-point lead in the first half and saw that cushion evaporate in the third. Before 17,236 screaming souls – the second largest attendance in this title series – Gin Kings slid into a 13-point hole, ultimately missing out on a golden opportunity to seize control of the race.

“Again, it’s a good, well-coached team,” Tenorio said of his opponents, who are looking to become the first visiting outfit to win it all since Ron Jacob’s Northern United Cements in the 1985 Reinforced Conference.

“They won’t go down easily, and we know that coming into this series. This is why it’s a championship series,” he added. “It’s time for us now to adjust. Now it’s a best of three, so we should get ‘Game 1’ this Sunday.

Optimistic

The Bay Area will continue to miss Nicholson as he begins to walk again on Friday. But the NBA veteran remains optimistic that he can bounce back if the series goes the distance.

“We’ll take it day by day to see how it goes. Hopefully, it will get better [Sunday]. I just continued the treatment, continued taking the medication, and just got better,” he said.

“Daily. I’m trying to be optimistic about it, but we’ll see,” added Nicholson.

Ginebra, which sort of doubles as the National Team in the clash many spectators frame as “Philippines versus China” is also bullish.

“The good news is, we still have the next game. It will hurt differently if it’s our last,” Tenorio said.

Read Next

For suggestions, complaints, or questions, please contact us.